The Black Bond
by fahrikol
Summary: When Eragon leaves for The West, Angela discovers a child that is half werecat, half human and takes her under her wing an apprentice. Fifteen years later, Nasuada is planning the fifteenth year celebration, and Amicia and Angela appear from nowhere. Then, the black dragon egg hatches for her, but her gedwëy ignasia is silver in the center but black along the outer edge.
1. Chapter 1

A day after Eragon left with Saphira for Vroengard to gather the remaining eggs and leave Alagaësia…

A savage cry rang out in the air in Ilirea, however it was drowned out by all the surrounding noises. A small, young woman with curly, brunette hair with a cat strolled down the pathway near the citadel in the city. She followed the noise to where she saw a baby girl, who only looked a few days old with a thick head of black hair. She looked down at the baby, and beside it she found a small locket. Curious, she popped open the necklace, she pulled out a piece of paper and quickly read it. She slipped the piece of paper into her pocket. Picking up the baby, she couldn't help but notice the fangs the child had.

"So, your name's Amicia. A fine name for a human-werecat mix. If I recall, Amicia was the name of not only a famous rider close to Vrael himself, but also the name of the first werecat Queen." She smirked and looked over toward the nearest alley and saw the slight reflection of two pairs of eyes; from what she could tell, one was wide-eyed with green eyes and one had thin eyes that were yellow. She turned directly towards them, and laughed, remembering seeing a human, pregnant woman by the name of Felicia spending much time with a werecat known as Taileng. Both the beings lurked back into the shadows. "Hey, if you don't want her, I'll gladly take her. I've been in need of an apprentice anyways." She shrugged and walked off carrying the child, the black cat at her feet following, but turning around and hissing at them.

Present

The day was approaching. It would be exactly fifteen years since Eragon had left with Saphira to go search off to the East. Since then, only the two first eggs had hatched. In the second year, the purple egg that was sent to the dwarves had hatched for a dwarf by the name of Träveon, a young male from the clan of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum. He had named the dragon vibrant, male dragon Deszeld. Five years after that, the yellow egg had hatched for Notharna, a female Urgal who had proved her courage by defeating most of the male Urgals her age in hand to hand combat. Her dragon was also male, and was given the name Ingeiro. After Arya had trained them for a year, she sent them to Eragon, who lay in the lands far to the West. After seven years there, Träveon and Deszeld had reappeared. They pledged themselves to the dwarves and the rest of the land, and after interacting for two months, they left to go back to Eragon, but visited annually. Since Notharna and Ingeiro had left, they had not been seen. Once both eggs had hatched and had come to Eragon, Blödhgarm had appeared to Arya and brought two more eggs. One was jet black and one was pure white. A member of each of the four races was to accompany each egg and rotate it through each of the capitals by the turn of the seasons. So far, neither of them hatched.

Nasuada was planning on holding a ceremony, and she had spoken to Eragon recently, who had agreed to let her have a party and appearing and speaking through a large mirror. Most everyone was excited to see him. The celebration would be mainly held in Ilirea, however those who couldn't come there would celebrate from home. As the day was drawing nearer, people began to flock to the city.

Nasuada had tried to personally invite everyone who had made it possible for the city to thrive. Roran, Katrina and Ismira, who was nearing eleven, along with some of Carvahall had recently arrived, and Arya along with Fírnen and some of the other elves had come. King Orik, King Orrin and Garzhvog were both present at their own races' ceremonies, but they would be connected to Eragon's image. However, and Nasuada was unsure how she felt about this, but she was unable to contact Angela. Once Nasuada had announced about her plan, which had held stable for ten years, about limiting magicians and watching them, she had mysteriously disappeared. She had entrusted Roran with her confliction, and Roran had responded saying that Angela would certainly be here, especially since she always followed big events.

The following days were a disaster for Nasuada. All sorts of petty problems came to her, such as not being able to afford the trip home or trying to locate a distant relative who may or may not be in Ilirea. When there was silence, she whispered to herself, "Honestly. It's like people don't think ahead for themselves." However, it was better than constantly hiding in fear. And of course, where there were petty problems, there were large ones. Every few days a massive brawl would break out, and she would have to settle it, which was rather hard. As the day for the celebration drew near though, the tension in the city faded. Everyone was excited for the celebration.

Two days before the celebration, Nasuada was sitting in her chamber with Farica, her ever loyal handmaiden, who had also become a good friend of hers. The sun was just beginning to rise through the window. The heavy golden doors began to open, the sound of the metal scraping against the stone floor. Nasuada stood up suddenly, pulling the sword from the side of her chair. And a face that she had not seen in fifteen years, yet remained unchanged, appeared before her.

"Ah! Nasuada, I see you have flourished these past few years." Nasuada lowered her weapon. Angela appeared unchanged. Her thick, brown hair was curly as ever, and she her attire still consisted mainly of black and green with the occasional splotch of red or blue. Solembum the werecat strolled in, ever so casually. His sleek, black fur glistened in the moonlight.

"Angela! I had tried to invite you personally, but no one's seen you since Eragon left. Please, do tell what you've been doing all these long years." Nasuada fell back into her seat, placing her sword across her lap, ready just in case Angela had changed. She motioned to a seat across from her. Angela smiled and flopped down in the armchair. She leaned against one of the arm rests and threw her legs over the opposite.

"Oh, Nasuada! You know that even if I wanted to, I couldn't reveal all that I've done these past fifteen years, for many reasons. One, because that would take fifteen years, which you don't have at the moment, and two, because even you know that I never give away my secrets. However, I will have you know that I have been training someone." Angela snapped her fingers, and a head popped in from the side where the door was opened. "Oh, you fool. Come in." The girl strode forward, and Nasuada couldn't help but be astonished by her. She had piercing, dark eyes that didn't seem entirely human, and her hair was the blackest Nasuada had laid eyes on. It was cut short, just past her ears and it was cut awkwardly, but in a way that it possessed elegance. She wore black pants, that weren't too tight and allowed her to move freely yet showed off her extremely slim yet muscular shape. She was shorter than Angela, and her shirt was black and loose, similar to her pants. The sleeves ended just above her elbow, and she had a silver belt strapped about her waist that looked as if it was missing something, yet was still elegant. She also carried a white bag which she had slung over her shoulder. However, Nasuada detected that there was something about her that didn't fit correctly. Her eyes were slanted and the shape of a werecat's eye. And her face's shape was similar to that of an elf's or werecat's. Along with larger than the average size fangs, Nasuada realized that she had never seen a child like this before. "Now, before you ask any questions, let us put most of them to rest." Nasuada remained silent, yet the urge to begin asking questions was extremely strong. The girl didn't bow to Nasuada as expected, but nodded her head in acknowledgment.

"Queen Nasuada, I am Amicia, Daughter of None. I am the child of a human and a werecat from after Galbatorix was defeated. And while I am aware of my parents' identities and have confronted them, Angela has been my family more than any other, so that is why I declare myself the Daughter of None." Amicia silenced herself, and Angela nodded in approval. Nasuada straightened herself up. Standing before her was the offspring of two different races, which never happened, especially with a race so confined as the werecats.

"Well, I am still curious as to what you three have been doing these many years, but I doubt I will be able to Will you be joining us for the 15 year celebration? I can arrange for rooms for you to stay in. Is there anything in particular you wish to have in your room?" Amicia looked to Angela, who sat pondering for a moment.

"Well, I would very much like to see most of, if not all, of the treasures located her that Eragon recovered before his departure." Nasuada's mouth fell open, she began to protest, but Angela interrupted her. "If you must know, these past fifteen years, we have been finding many of the treasures of Alagaësia, but many of them are hidden here, and so they are unavailable for us to examine. If you allow us to examine the artifacts here, we may show you what we have discovered and we may tell you some of what we have done." Nasuada doubted that she would due to Angela's choice of words, but in her curiosity about the woman and her apprentice and werecat friend, all she could do was nod.

"I can do my best to give you access to the vault where we hid much of the treasures once stored here. Would you like a room high up in the tower, or would you like one closer to the ground?" Angela this time turned to Amicia. Amicia immediately responded.

"The higher the better. After all," she glanced over at Angela and smirked, "all the better to see everything that's going on." Nasuada couldn't deny that this child had a unique sense of humor. She smirked.

"Then it's settled. You'll stay in the room adjacent to Roran, and I'll send Roran or Jörmundur you escort you to the chamber later today. If you need anything at all, come here or ask a high ranking official." Nasuada waited for them to leave, but they both waited. After a few minutes of silence, she began to grow uncomfortable. She could tell they both enjoyed her discomfort. "You are dismissed." They both waited for another moment, and eventually Angela stood up. She called in a guard. "Sir, can you please show them to the room next to Stronghammer's?" He nodded and left, showing them the way out. Once they were gone, Nasuada sunk back into her chair. Something about the girl had enlightened her, and then her true meaning had struck Nasuada. Nasuada wanted her to stay as far away as she could. She couldn't tell, but something ominous struck her about this child.

Once in their chambers, Amicia tossed her back to the ground. She touched her collarbone as if something was there. Angela noticed, and tossed her a pack that she had concealed. Solembum jumped onto the ledge on the window. Almost as soon as they had walked in the door, there came a knock on the door.

"That should be Roran, Katrina and Ismira. It'll be good for you to get to know someone your age." Angela smiled and opened the door to the three. "Ah, we were expecting you." Amicia raised an eyebrow, and even after all her time with Angela she didn't understand half of the stuff she did, but she had come to trust the woman. Roran raised an eyebrow at Amicia.

"Queen Nasuada told us that we were going to have neighbors for the duration of the celebration. We were hoping that you would join us for dinner. Quite a few people will be there, including Elva." He posed it as a statement, yet it seemed more like a command. Ismira glanced cautiously at Amicia.

"We'd love that, right, Amicia?" Angela squealed. "Besides, maybe you can introduce her to other people her age, Ismira. After all, both of you are fifteen." Katrina and Ismira seemed taken aback that she knew her age, however Roran was expecting this.

"Of course. Will you meet us out in the court pavilion in an hour's time?" Angela nodded. "We shall see you then." They said their good-byes and Angela closed the door.

"Go get changed, Amicia! You have an impression to make, and Nasuada is already suspicious. She has every right to be, though. You were destined for greatness and people in power fear greatness." Angela shooed her into the bathroom and threw in an outfit after. Amicia couldn't help but laugh at the choice of outfit. She cleaned herself up and put it on. Angela took over the bathroom, and together they left for dinner, and soldiers stopped and stared for they were a fearsome looking duo.

Amicia was wearing a top similar to what she had been wearing before: a black top that was loosely fit so she could fight properly on short notice. The collar was white and it was sewn in a star like pattern. The tight sleeves ended at her elbow, but there, they flowed out in loose fabric. She wore pants similar, only they flowed out above her knees. Both she and Angela went barefoot unless entering severe climate. She was wearing her traveling cape and attached to her back was her hûthvír. Angela also had one, but wasn't wearing it. Proudly, she had made it all be herself from only the strongest materials, but even that wasn't enough. She had brought Tinkledeath with them. Angela was wearing her typical green and black clothing, but she still looked quite ferocious. When they exited into the courtyard, everyone stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the two.

Angela kept smiling and walking and so Amicia decided to follow her lead. However, she didn't put on the big-happy-Angela smile. Rather, she walked behind, carefully. Eventually, they came to the place where Roran was standing. "We were all thinking that a picnic would be nice, so we decided to pack the meal and we are all going to meet outside the city. Everyone else went ahead, except for us, Roran motioned to a shadowy figure next to them. She stepped out of the shadows. She appeared a girl of eighteen, yet she had a mark on her forehead.

"Elva!" Angela cried out as if she hadn't seen her in fifteen years, when actually Angela and Amicia and had met up with her on multiple occasions. Amicia and Elva got along quite well, both of them being quite odd. They were very good friends, and so they were delighted to see each other.

"Angela! Amicia! I had no idea that you would be here for the celebration. Why didn't you send ahead?" The three girls quickly embraced. Roran appeared confused by the connection, but he shook his head. "Anyway, we should be going." The four set off, for Solembum had deserted them for wandering the city. The walk was silent, for the first mile, and then Angela struck up a conversation with Roran, asking him about the local mushrooms and whether or not he believed in toads.

_Amicia! We have so much to talk about. How have been lately?_

_ I've been better than last time we met. _Both girls stifled laughter, and Roran glanced back curiously. _So any news on the eggs?_ Their most recent discussions were of the two eggs in the country that had not achieved Riders

_Oh, yes! Nasuada is going to try and get them to hatch before or during the celebration, to strengthen the people's support. Perhaps you should touch one of the eggs. You might get lucky._

_ Yeah, right. I doubt that a dragon wants a werecat – human mix as a Rider. _Amicia rolled her eyes. It was so easy to talk to Elva compared to when they had first met. From the stories Angela had told her, Elva had been a much different person when she was a lot younger.

Eventually they reached the grove. Nasuada and Farica were there, along with Katrina, Ismira and many others. About thirty or so people were gathered, and the arrival of Angela, Amicia, Roran and Elva seemed to be the signal for the picnic to start.


	2. Chapter 2

Angela quickly went off on her way, interrogating everyone about toads. Amicia had never been quite sure about the subject. Amicia saw Katrina nudge Ismira away form three girls about her age and pointed towards herself. Amicia nudged Elva, and Elva understood, and began leading Amicia towards a group of people who seemed a little separate from the rest. In the group, there were two male humans, two dwarves, of their gender she was unsure, two male Urgals, and a male and female elf. Amicia had met some elves, who seemed more distant than she had expected, but soon realized that it was because of the major changes in their once secluded environment. They could now live in peace with the rest of Alagaësia.

Once they were within ten feet, the female elf spun around and looked directly at them harshly, but then seemed to recognize Elva. She laughed and ran towards them to greet them. The other seven turned at her sudden movement, but relaxed when they saw to whom she running towards. She stopped when she neared them.

"Elva!" She greeted Elva with a kiss on the cheek. "And could you be Amicia, the were-human?" Amicia smiled and nodded. "Wonderful! I am Alanna, Daughter of Invidia, one of the two ambassadors of the elves." Amicia nodded and Alanna took both their hands. "Come! You must meet the other ambassadors! They will be delighted to meet one such as yourself. We were hoping to meet you and Angela!" She led them to the other seven. They seemed excited and curious by Amicia's presence.

"Elva. Who is your companion?" The Urgal who was the tallest in the group said. He stared at Amicia, and although it would have intimidated many, however, she smiled slyly. She uttered some words and the two Urgals stared at her shockingly. Everyone else present, including Elva shifted awkwardly.

"I am Amicia, Daughter of None. I am the child of human and werecat and I was raised by Angela the herbalist." She smiled, and everyone relaxed a little.

"We have heard much of you and your skills from Elva and the herbalist. I am Sarkzvan, Son of Skgahgrezh, cousin to Notharna, of the Bolvek Tribe." Amicia nodded and began to examine everyone in the way that Angela had taught her. Sarkzvan had long horns and was most certainly a Kull. He had vicious yellow eyes that had seen much in their time and they were cautious of her. He wore a rough, brown fabric with a blood red belt that was tied in a knot in the front. He had a sword in its sheath tucked into the belt.

"I am Vayskor, Son of Dazhgra, of the Bolvek Tribe." The younger Urgal was also a Kull, but was still shorter than Sarkzvan. His horns were duller than the typical Kull, which showed that he was quite young, and he wore clothes similar to Sarkzvan, only he had a club tied to his blood red belt.

"I am Ndeh, of the Dûrgrimst Feldûnost clan." The shorter dwarf smiled politely. His voice was deep and gravelly, and his beard was braided. He wore a helm with the symbol of his clan and he had an axe attached to his belt inlaid with glimmering topaz.

"I am Yukor, of the Dûrgrimst Ebardac clan." He was slightly taller than his companion, and had a higher voice. He also wore a helm bearing the symbol of his clan and had a belt inlaid with topaz. However, instead of an axe, he had a hammer.

"I am Vaughn, Son of Timmorn, from Teirm." He had dark brown hair that was long enough that it covered most of his brown eyes. He had a pale face with lots of freckles and looked to be in his late twenties. His clothes were a light, loose fitting green shirt and long navy pants. He had a bow strung to his back.

"I am Shea, Son of Elliot, from Gil'ead." He had bright orange hair, which if Angela saw, she would declare him a Ginger, for what reason Amicia never. His emerald eyes gleamed brightly as if from curiosity and he bore a long sword that was sheathed. He was wearing a light blue top that was also loose and his pants were a dull brown. He offered Amicia kind smile, which she returned.

"And I am Loki, Son of Laufin.*" When Amicia faced him, she was taken aback by his hair. It was the purest blonde hair she had ever seen, and it was short with a bit of floofiness to it. He smiled shyly, his face blushing a little bit. Amicia was immediately drawn to him.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Amicia turned her gaze away from the young male elf to Alanna. "Alanna, you said you were hoping to meet me. Why? And how did you find out about me?" Alanna laughed. Both of the elves were so full of emotion, and they were much different from the ones who she had met in Du Weldenvarden.

"Why, you have met Loki and I, when you were in Du Weldenvarden, and when Elva mentioned you, we realized that we also knew you. Once we knew enough about you, we knew that we wanted you to help us escort the eggs. You have such unusual abilities, that they could provide quite useful." Amicia nodded, understanding. Because she was probably the first were human in history, she possessed untapped talent.

"I would be delighted to accompany you." Amicia smiled, silently hoping that she would be in the group with the blonde elf. Elva smirked for a moment before Amicia could block the thought from her. "However, I don't recall meeting you and Loki in Du Weldenvarden."

"Ah, well, that's a story for another time. However, we must enjoy the moment, and we shall discuss escorting the eggs for another time." Alanna smiled. "This is a picnic for all of us to enjoy. And I believe that I will take advantage of that." She smirked and walked off to Nasuada. The Urgals left quickly, heading back to the main city. The men and dwarves quickly joined in the celebration.

Loki approached Elva and Amicia. He stopped once he stood next to them. Amicia turned to him and placed two fingers to her lips and said, "Atra esterní ono thelduin."

He smiled and placed his fingers to his lips. "Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr."

Amicia responded in turn. "Un du evarínya ono varda."

"Alanna has left behind most of the elven ways. She has gone through many hardships and finds the ways of humans relieving. It is complicated." Amicia nodded, and noticed that Elva had slipped away and was talking to Nasuada with Alanna and Angela.

"She seems content with the path she has chosen. She fits in quite well with everyone." Amicia observed.

"Quite true. Yet, she has deserted many of our ways. Do not take it as a personal offense, but she seems more acquainted with humans than you are, and you are partially of the same race as them." Amicia thought for a moment.

"Humans prefer it when they can understand someone. When I was born, they were uncomfortable with elves, but now that they have grown accustomed to them, they know how to accept elves, and one such as Alanna, who embraces human culture, makes them believe they are more similar than they actually are. Whereas I, who is the half-breed of an unheard of combination, and has spent her entire life with a mysterious herbalist, traveling constantly, is practically repulsive to humans because they cannot understand me. Humans only accept that which they understand, which I believe is what partially drew Galbatorix into power originally." Loki pondered this for a few moments.

"Your statement proves true with much of what I have observed in the company of humans." He paused for a few moments, blinking rapidly for a second. "If you will excuse me, I must return to Ilirea to check up on the eggs, however, I would very much enjoy your company."

"I would love to." Amicia smiled, taken aback. "I should go check with Angela first, so she doesn't freak out though. Would it possible for you to wait just a moment?" He nodded. Amicia ran off to Angela, and Loki couldn't entirely understand the feelings he had had when he first saw her. She possessed such a grace that was only rarely found among werecats, yet she also had a human and elf-like piece to her. Plus, he thought she was quite beautiful. But he was still unsure how he felt, whereas he had always understood before, so he remained where he was, puzzled. Plus, the fact that he had met her in the past confused him as well. He remembered almost everything up until now, but he had never remembered meeting her.

Amicia swiftly stalked over to Angela. "Ah! Amicia, good, you're here. Please tell Alanna and Nasuada that toads don't exist and that there are only frogs."

Alanna was shocked. "Why! How can you even suggest that they are both frogs? They have different names in the Ancient Language!"

"Well, Dragon Riders also have two names in the Ancient Language, Argetlam and Shur'tugal, and while they both translate to different things, they are both still a reference to the same type of person." Amicia smirked as she Nasuada and Alanna rethink their beliefs because of her statement. "If I may borrow Angela for just a moment, and then you can resume your argument." Nasuada appeared disapproving of Amicia's choice of words, but ignoring the Queen, Amicia led Angela a few steps away. "I was wondering if I could leave with Loki."

Angela raised an eyebrow. "But we just got here! You haven't even met most of the people who are your age. Ah, well, you seem set on going, so I might as well let you go." Angela pause for a moment, letting her brunette curls bounce for a moment. "This Loki, does he happen to be the Son of Laufin?" Amicia nodded. "Ah, do you remember meeting him and Alanna all those years ago in Du Weldenvarden?"

"No, Alanna mentioned it as well, but I couldn't remember." Angela's eyes grew wide for a moment, giving away her surprise.

"Perhaps, perhaps." She mumbled. "Well, go ahead. I'll meet you back in our rooms later tonight. If you both have time and you don't get too caught up," Angela winked, "I believe a smaller group of us are going to head back to Nasuada's quarters to speak to Eragon, and I wish for you to meet him, since you probably don't remember us scrying him that one time when you were little." Actually, Amicia did remember some of it, but she wished to speak to him. "Well? What are you waiting for, my blessing?" Angela laughed at her joke. "Go!" Amicia headed back to Loki.

"Shall we be off?" Loki asked once she came up next to him.

"Yes, we shall." And the two head off for the city of Ilirea. "Now, why exactly are we heading back? I know that you have to check up on the eggs as carriers, but is there anything else in particular?"

"Ah, well, Nasuada mentioned that you and Angela were curious as to seeing the many treasure discovered in the city after Galbatorix was defeated. I offered to show you when I checked on the eggs."

"Wonderful. Over the past few years, Angela and I have tracked down many different wonders, and I believe that adding them to the collection would be the best idea possible." They continued to idly chat for a while, and then Amicia asked about the ambassador groups. "So, how are the ambassadors organized with the eggs? I'm curious as to how all of it works."

"Well, a member from each race guards the eggs. Shea, Yukor and Vayskor and I guard the black egg, and Alanna, Vaughn, Sarkzvan and Ndeh guard the white one. During the winter, my group resides in Farthen Dur, and in the Spring we travel to Du Weldenvarden, then the Spine in the Summer and Ilirea in the Fall. The other group is there during the opposite season. Make sense so far?"

"Yes."

"We haven't switched the egg between groups as we did with the last two, but that was a different scenario." By now, they had reached the inside of Ilirea.

"Why not?"

"Well, just to be sure that the dragon in the egg isn't confused. We were thinking of switching after the celebration, however." Amicia nodded. They continued to discuss the matter of the eggs for awhile and then drifted onto the topic of Eragon and his new order of Riders.

"Did you ever meet Eragon? I've heard a wide assortment of things about him." Amicia questioned.

"Well, actually, I was born the day of Arya's coronation, so I am just a few months older than you." Amicia's eyes grew wide. She had always assumed elves were older than they appeared, but this one appeared to be her age and he was.

"So you and Alanna are some of the youngest of your kind. Why are you protecting the eggs then? I don't mean any offense, but you both seem quite young, and it is very rare that power is put into the hands of the young."

"Well, elves believe that when you are younger, you have a certain magic that you lose with age, and Alanna and I both excelled as students of magic. Plus, the elves believe that since we are the elves of the current generation, we should control what happens to the future." The two had entered the castle and descended into a chamber after receiving a pair of nervous from two guards.

"Humans certainly don't do that." Amicia said, and they both laughed for a short moment. They descended in silence, and once they reached a door, Loki muttered some words and there was a large clicking sound. Together, they pushed the doors forwards. And entered into a sparkling room that was unlike anything Amicia had ever seen before.

All along the left wall were swords. And they weren't piled upon each other like the rusted metallic, but they were all lined up vertically along the wall, each surrounded by their own glass case. They varied in all sorts of different colors, from the dirtiest brown to the deepest red, from the emerald greens to the sourest pinks. And in the hilt of each sword, there was a large gem that matched the color of the blade, and in some cases, there were other smaller gems varying in different colors surrounding the largest one. However, in the center of all the glimmering swords, there were two that stood out. Both were breathtakingly white, and sparkled the brightest in the light. However, there was a space wide enough in between the two of them for another, yet it was empty. Amicia immediately recognized the two, and they were Islingr, Vraels' sword that Galbatorix stole and renamed Vangr, and Garjzla, the first Eragon's sword. It took her a moment to realize what the spot in the middle was for, and once she realized, she gasped aloud.

"Yes." Loki responded once he followed her gaze. "Nasuada has hopes of recovering her sword, however we have no idea as to where it could be."

"Hraustligr, Dauntless, the sword of Skye, the first human Dragon Rider." Amicia said the name in awe. "They say her dragon, Jade, was darker than a pitch black cave, She was once one of the greatest secrets of the Riders, because," Loki cut her off.

"Because she was the greatest among them, but she was the first Rider to ever leave the organization, because she disapproved of them. Why she wouldn't say, but just before Galbatorix came to power, Vrael discovered their bones farther north than most of the Spine, and he wept at the loss of his close friends and teachers. Their cause of death was unidentified, but most people assume that it must have been some great power that came from another land." A few moments of silence followed. "They say she possessed some traits that were so unnatural. Yet while she was small, she was the most powerful Rider ever, which may have been one of the reasons she left the Order. She reminds me of you." Amicia blushed and Loki smiled nervously.

She turned her eyes to right side of the room. All along this side of the wall, trinkets of all sorts were on shelves. There were rows and rows of shelves that went on for at least a hundred feet. She walked over and examined a shelf containing cups of all sorts and sizes. Some were crystal and other where made of stone. She continued on to the next to discover rings and necklaces and bracelets all of fascinating beauty. They each possessed a certain individuality and grace that no other jewelry could ever compete with. One piece, however that caught her attention was a necklace made entirely out of sapphire. It glimmered in the dim lighting of the room, and something about it stayed in her mind. She quickly examined the other shelves in the first row in awe and turned back to Loki. He had a smirk on his face, and Amicia was unsure why.

"Why, you've over looked the masterpiece." He said coolly. In the center of the room on two pedestals sat the eggs. Amicia stepped towards the eggs for a closer look.

The white egg was about two and half feet tall, and it had the faint tracing of grey veins running through the shell. It practically glowed a vibrant white. The black egg was much smaller, it was only about a foot tall, and it had darker, veins running around the egg. Loki stepped towards her with the eggs.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Amicia could only nod. She'd only heard of the beauty of dragon eggs, and she still couldn't comprehend them. However, she felt drawn to black egg. She stepped forward and picked it up. Almost immediately, a deep growl came from the egg. She stumbled backwards in surprise, but she didn't drop the egg. Loki's eyes grew wide. "Could it possibly be?" They waited for a moment in silence. Slowly, part of the egg began to crack. They watched the crack make its way all the way around the egg, splitting it into the top and bottom half. Then, out of the side nearest to Amicia's body, a little snout popped out. Amicia gasped as the little dragon pulled itself out of the shell. The dragon jumped onto Amicia's chest, and she flushed with embarrassment. Then, it pulled itself up onto her shoulder, and shimmied its way down her right arm. After a minute or so, it reached her hand, and touched the center of her outstretched palm with its snout. Then, from where the dragon had touched, a silvery sheen spread out over Amicia's palm. She gasped when the shimmering died down, and it was unlike anything she had seen or heard of before. It was silver in the middle, but along the outer edge, it was a dark black. The dragon then crawled back up her arm.

Loki's mouth dropped, which was very unlike and elf. What have I gotten myself into? He thought to himself. He quickly grabbed the white egg and carried it over towards the wall, protecting it incase a sudden burst of magic came from the joining of Amicia and her young dragon. Then, to his shock, the white egg began to crack. He just recalled that he had never touched the egg, and slowly it began to crack to. His eyes gave away his delight and Amicia laughed. The little black dragon gave off a sound that sounded like laughter, and when the white dragon that popped out of the shell looked Loki in the eye, he couldn't help but laugh as well. He stroked the dragon, still laughing, and they sat against the back wall for the next few minutes laughing uncontrollably, with the dragons making awkward noises every so often, which made them laugh even harder.

*Haha, He's the son of Laufin, not Laufey. Get it? XD You guys have no idea how excited I was to discover that. Like seriously!


	3. Chapter 3

After laughing, they sat in silence for awhile. Amicia's mind brushed against the little black dragons. Eventually, Loki broke the silence, with a question neither of them had the answer to.

"What do we do now?" Amicia smirked in amusement.

"I have no idea." The both thought, and an idea fell upon Amicia. "What if," she paused, unsure if she should say, "what if we didn't tell anyone? And then revealed it at the big ceremony?" Loki seemed startled, but smiled at the thought. The little black dragon clambered up her shoulder and sat on top of her head. "The only problem would be sneaking out our wonderful companions and keeping them a secret for tomorrow and part of the day afterwards." She let the thought sink in. The white dragon squirmed and placed himself on Loki's shoulder.

"Let's do it!" Loki laughed again. "Why not? And another problem would be keeping it a secret from the other egg guardians. Eventually, they'll figure something out. I suppose we should tell them." Amicia nodded.

"That would be for the best. Do you want to let them know?" He tipped his head, and closed his eyes in concentration. Amicia noticed his fluffy blonde hair and noticed how it fell around his head. She couldn't help but find it attractive, and began blushing. Loki's face revealed a small smile, and Amicia worried that she had accidentally sent that to him.

However, the reason he was smiling was because he saw some of the reactions of his fellow guardians, who were all shocked at what he said:

_I would appreciate it if all seven of you would grace Amicia and me with your presence. We have some interesting news that I assume would be of great importance for you._

_ What could be so important? _Vaughn scowled. _Can't we have a moment of relief from our duties?_

_Oh, I suppose that the hatching of BOTH of the dragon eggs isn't of that much importance to you?_

_ We were already heading back to the palace anyway…_

_ Sounds like fun! I think I'll join you all as well, since this involves Amicia. Teehee! _Loki shuddered back to where he was at the interruption of Angela. How could she have intercepted the conversation? He glanced over at Amicia, and a wave of calmness washed over him. How could he be worried around her?

"Nice hat." He said, and they both laughed. The black dragon tilted her head to the side and emitted a noise that sounded like a laugh, and they both stifled their further laughter.

The seven remaining guardians quickly dismissed themselves from the picnic, which was coming to an end. Nasuada was surprised when they allowed Angela to join them. When she inquired why, and they all remained silent, she requested that she come as well.

"Your majesty, as pleasurable as your company is, this is more of a personal matter that we must deal with." Sarkzvan stated. When Nasuada raised and eyebrow, he dismissed the group, and they headed off back to the city.

Nasuada summoned Elva. When she appeared, Nasuada asked her to see if she understood what was going on with the group. Elva closed her eyes for a moment, and then gasped.

"Your majesty, to reveal what happened, would deprive you of future joy." A tear of happiness ran down Elva's check. "You have no need to worry or fear, for everything will be much better afterwards than it is now." Elva drifted away. Nasuada couldn't help but notice the difference in the girl. She had changed from the cold, dark girl, to a young teenager, full of life and love.

The group came rushing down the stairs to see the sight of the two dragons walking about the room and their two Riders, who were much larger than the little creatures, sitting against the wall and watching their companions.

"How marvelous!" Yukor exclaimed when he saw the little dragons. He approached the black one. "Who is your Rider?" The beast looked shocked at another person and scurried away back to Amicia. "Ah, it fits. I assume the white one is yours?" He tilted a head towards Loki, who nodded with a large smile on his face. Angela pushed her way through those taller and shorter than her, and approached Amicia and knelt down beside her.

"Intriguing! To think that you would be a Rider! Not only are you a were-human, but you are also my apprentice! That has never happened before!" He brunette curls bounced excitedly as she straightened up, and Loki and Amicia also did, each holding their dragons. "So, I assume you kept it a secret from Nasuada for a reason?"

"Well…" Loki started, unsure how his friends would react.

"We thought that it would be fun to reveal the dragons the day after tomorrow during the palooza!" A few appeared confused by her word choice, however, Alanna was impressed by the idea.

"Why, what a brilliant idea! Let's do it!" Amicia, you can borrow my quarters, because they're closer, and that way the two dragons can be together, and they're right next to Loki and Shea's!" Angela nodded in approval. "Besides, I've got a few friends who've already offered to room, and I'm sure a late acceptance wouldn't bother them."

"I'll bring your stuff down. I'll go get it now." Angela winked at Amicia, saying that she wanted to tell Amicia something. Angela jumped to the staircase. After a moment, her head popped back in. "I'll distract the guards. You guys have exactly four minutes, once I reach the top of the stairs." Her head disappeared. They heard her distant footsteps clanging against the staircase.

Alanna headed over to the pedestals and scooped up the eggs shells, sticking them in her bag. Then she touched both, began murmuring something in the ancient language and slowly, an exact replica of the eggs that had been there appeared. "I can hold those for up to three days, and still have quite a bit of energy. They only appear when someone is present. Let's go."

The group headed up the stairs slightly, and they heard Angel's distant footsteps silence. When they reached the top of the stairs, she guards had a glazed look on their eyes, yet remained to still be breathing and shifting as if nothing was wrong. Everyone except Amicia, because she knew how, mentally noted to ask Angela how to do that, and they quickly rushed off to the left. Then the guards looked at where they had been standing, and spoke to the air, which confused the ennead. The turned around, and discovered that the guards were having a conversation with what would have been them if they weren't sneaking away.

Amicia urged everyone forward, and they continued on down the hall. The group tramped up the nearest staircase a few levels, until Alanna, who was at the head of the group, stopped and exited through the nearby doorway. The dwarves and the Urgals remained in the stairwell. When Loki turned around, he raised his eyebrow at them.

"Got places to go and people to see. We'll catch up with you five later. Nasuada can't stay suspicious for long if some of us are with her." Yukor chuckled. It was then that Loki realized his friends would never treat him the same again. Suddenly, he wished that he hadn't touched the second egg, even though it was his instinct. He would miss being with his friends normally. He hurried down the hall after the others.

Once he reached the room he shared with Shea, he waved to Amicia and Alanna and the two stepped inside.

"Wow! To think that one of my closest friends is a Rider!" Shea laughed, and plopped down on his bed with his hands behind his head. "It's crazy, ain't it?" Shea's face was in a wide grin.

"Wait, you aren't annoyed that I'm a Rider? Vaughn seemed pretty ticked off…" Loki sat down on his bed, on the opposite side of the room. His little dragon jumped down from his eyes and began examining the bed.

Shea just laughed and rolled onto his side so he could face Loki. "Vaughn is more jealous than annoyed. He's glad that the eggs finally hatched, but he wishes it was him. That much is clear. And why would I be annoyed? Being a Rider seems like a huge responsibility. I can barely protect the eggs; I doubt that I would be a suitable Rider. Too much stress." They sat in silence and watched Loki's white friend waddle around the bed. "What are you gunna name him?"

"Name him? I think that I'll leave that up to him. When dragons are ready for a name, they choose one. However, since I am going to be cooped up here, I suppose listing off some names and seeing what he thinks are a good idea." Shea nodded and rolled back onto his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"You need something regal, or legendary. He's such a pure color."

"Your hair is such a pure color." Both the boys laughed at the comment. Shea's hair had been a longstanding joke between the two of them, but as to why, it was a mystery. Loki allowed himself to relax and lay his back against the bed.

"Say, what do you think of Amicia? She's something, ain't she?" Loki couldn't identify the tone of Shea's voice. He'd never heard it before. "Not only is she a Rider, but she's Angela's apprentice, a were-human and she's beautiful…" As Shea's voice faded out on the last word, Loki felt a pang of jealousy and immediately came to the conclusion of what Shea's tone meant. Shea quickly pulled himself up. "But don't tell her that I said that." He sat up and smirked and leaned against the wall, in the same fashion that Loki was, except for that Shea pulled up his right leg and locked his fingers around it.

"Don't worry, I won't." Loki pulled a fake smirk onto his face. "She does strike one as very unique. I'm sure that twenty years ago, everyone would be shocked to discover that the Riders are made up of two elves, a dwarf, an Urgal, a were-human and their leader is a human. Oh, and there's a Rider who hasn't officially joined them, but hopefully soon will." Shea laughed.

"Ha! No one would have believed it."

Alanna led Vaughn and Amicia down the hallway. Vaughn flipped his dark brown hair, and dismissed himself. He quickly shuffled down the hallway.

"Oh Vaughn…" Alanna chuckled to herself. She unlocked the door, and the two girls stepped in. The room was large yet sparse. And right in the center was Angela carrying two bags. "Angela!" She laughed to herself. "I should've known you'd already be here." With a smile on her face, Alanna used magic to quickly put all of belongings away into a bag, and slung the bag across her shoulders. "Well, this is your room for the next few days, and it can be permanent if you want it to. "I came up with a reasonable excuse. I already told the others. We'll, oh, wait, I can mentally send it to you! I'll do that, so no one overhears, just in case, even though I had this place de-bugged." _We're going to tell Nasuada that a magical gas was released, and you and Loki were both affected, but you should be alright in a day or two. However, it might be best if your predicament was kept quiet._ "What do you think?"

"Brilliant!" Amicia responded, fully approving of the idea.

"Well, I'll see you later! Oh, by the way!" _I was thinking that tomorrow you and Loki could go pick out your swords? There's quite a few to choose from, but I assume that you can use a weapon? _Alanna gestured to the hûthvír on Amicia's back. Amicia nodded. _Good. Oh, would you be alright with me telling Arya? _Amicia nodded yet again. "Okay, I'm actually leaving now. Bye!" Alanna skipped out of the room. Turning to her foster mother, Amicia sat on the bed next to her and let the dragon onto the floor, to shove her head into corners. The little black creature ran head first to a wall, and bumped into the wall. Amicia felt the dragon's pain, which was more shocking than painful, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Here's most of your stuff. I couldn't fit all of it into this bag, but I can bring it up later." Angela tossed the bag onto the bed. "These, however, are some things that I know you are going to need." The first thing Angela pulled out was a belt. "This isn't for you, sorry." Angela chuckled. "It's the Belt of Beloth the Wise. I want you to give this to Eragon when you first meet him. It's something I recently discovered and it's precious to him." Angela put it on the bed. "Up next, we have this beautiful thing, and I was going to give it ya anyway, but nows as good of a time as any." Angela pulled out a necklace with a plain silver chain. There was a circle of silver, filled by three oval shaped diamonds splitting the circle into thirds, and opal in between the clear gems.

"My necklace! You found it!" Amicia quickly took it and put it on.

"Of course I found it. Even though you lost it eight years ago in the Beor Mountains, I found it our last trip there, a few months ago." Amicia smiled. Of course Angela did. She was Angela. "I was going to give it you on your birthday, but I figured I'd give it to you know. I added a bit of energy to it." Amicia, who was gifted with magic, but preferred physical combat, stretched her mind out to the gem and found it swarming with energy. She quickly pulled back.

"How did you…" Angela winked.

"I have my ways. And the necklace isn't all. Calm down." Amicia felt her heartbeat slow down, and Angela pulled out a sheath. However, it wasn't a normal sheath that fit any sword. It was completely black, with some symbols engraved on the side. "Sadly, I couldn't recover the sword, and I thought that after this visit, we could visit the Spine, and I could locate it. However, we never had the chance. Coincidentally, your dragon's scales match perfectly, which means that the blade will match as well." A tear slid down Angela's face. Amicia was taken aback, for she had seen Angela cry out of joy, but for no other reason. This is was beyond comprehension. Angela quickly wiped the tear away. "I knew her. She was a good person, with only the best intentions. You seemed a lot like her, and you two have practically the same height and build, so the sword should suit you." Angela closed her eyes, and since Amicia was so close to her, she felt Angela's mind stretch out. "Good. I know that if you're destined to have that sword, you will find it. Besides, your ride should arrive for the palooza. After quite a few years of solitude I'm sure he'll be grateful to have something to do." Angela handed the sheath to Amicia. "Then of course, you'll go to Eragon, and this is for that." She handed Amicia a mirror. "It's connected to this," Angela pulled a chain that hung from her neck. "That way, if you ever need me, I'm available."

"Angela, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me." Amicia hugged the old, yet young-looking woman, who smiled. A cat jumped down from the window sill. "Why, Solembum, how kind of you to join us." Angela smirked and the feline jumped into her lap.

"One last thing for you and your dragon is this." Angela shoved her arm into the bag and fished around for something. "One moment, please." Angela smiled, sat up, and then threw her whole upper body into the bag. Surprised, Amicia jumped back. "Don't worry! It's somewhere in here." Amicia took a few deep breaths and then sat back down. After a minute or so, Angela pulled herself out of the bag, and handed Amicia a book. "I found this in the area to the north of the Spine, when we went there when you were just a year old! I figured I'd wait to give it to you, but now seems as good as a time as any." Amicia took the book. The cover and spine were a dark blue and in the center of the cover was a bright white stone, in the shape of a hexagon.

"Angela, thank you. This is so… amazing." Amicia leafed through the pages. She looked up and hugged her adopted Mother. "You know something, Angela?"

"Depends. I know a lot of things."

"I may have spent my entire life with you, but you still surprise and amaze me."

"Aw, thanks!" Angela smiled, but glanced down and frowned when she saw Amicia's hand. "Well that's odd."

"What is?" Amicia held up her hand, and looked at it intently for the first time. Her dragon had come back over and nosed her gedwëy ignasia. She realized that while it was silver in the center, it was black on the edges. "Is that… normal?"

"No, I have never seen anything like that before. And I've seen quite a lot." Angela raised an eyebrow. "I'll leave you be, so you can spend some time with your dragon, but I'll look into that." Angela walked to the door. "You coming, Solembum?"

_I wish to speak with Amicia alone._

"Okay! Oh, Amicia, also, feel free to come up any time tomorrow to help me with knitting. Solembum, meet me in the library when you're done? Toodles!" She left the room without an answer from either of them.

"You said you wanted to talk to me?" Amicia was curious. Even though she had grown up with Solembum around, and he had told her that she was more were-cat than human, she didn't really know him well.

_Yes. Last night, I had a dream._ Amicia waited for the were-cat to continue.

"And?"

_And it was about you. You were flying on a black dragon, which is clearly yours. You muttered a few things in the Ancient Language, and then a flood of words came over me. I feel like you should know them, since they most likely pertain to you:_

_When Black surrounds White _

_The North is home to one who is torn_

_Where death's supposed victim is wrenched free_

_Over the river of forgotten tears is the key_

_Then under the Heaven's tears_

_One final choice must be made_

_Fate will be decided_

_Love and Soul forever divided_

Hey guys! Sorry for the late response XP It took me forever to come up with that last bit


	4. Chapter 4

Solembum purred and slinked out of the room through the window. The little black dragon tilted its head to the left and hobbled over to Amicia. Amicia picked up the little dragon and put her on her shoulder.

"Well that was odd." The dragon nodded in agreement, and Amicia laughed. "Let's try testing out names, since these next few days will be quite boring." The dragon threw her head from side to side. "No? Alright then, it seems that you have a better idea. Feel free to elaborate." Amicia laughed, for no reason other than that she felt somewhat giddy, and then she felt it. The dragon's presence. At first she pulled back, but then she relaxed and reached forward herself. Their minds interacted, and a flow of emotions poured from each of them. Memories. While the little dragon had only hatched quite a while ago, she had all of her thoughts from being in the egg. Most of them were just emotions and movement, but they were memories none the less. Neither of them was aware how long it lasted, but during, it felt like it would drag on forever, and afterwards, if felt like the blink of an eye.

After the flow of previous events, the two remained in silence, recovering from the experience. The black dragon slinked down Amicia's arm and sat on her legs, looking up at her Rider. The mental connection was weak at first, but once the dragon paused, she projected it towards Amicia again. _Jetta._

"So that's your name?" Jetta nodded. "Jetta. A fine name for a dragon of your colour it is." The dragon squirmed in amusement. "What shall we do now? It's growing late." Amicia looked out the window, showing the darkening sky. Jetta leaped from Amicia's legs to the bed and from there to the wall. She shimmied up the wall and crawled onto a rafter. She wrapped her tail around it and let her body fall, so it was just suspended by the tail. "You're tired?" Jetta nodded. "I am too. Good night, Jetta. Sleep tight."

_And don't let the Fanghur bite. _Amicia held back a laugh as Jetta used the old rhyme Angela had told Amicia when she was younger when they were near the Beor Mountains. It must have been something that stood out to Jetta when they exchanged memories, but as to why, Amicia had no idea. Now the name Jetta, it was quite familiar. Where it was from, Amicia couldn't remember. As she searched her memories for the particular name, she drifted off into sleep.

Shea and Loki were asleep in their beds, when the white dragon perched himself up on the rafters. Shea tossed and turned whilst Loki was entirely peaceful. Shea pulled himself up, and silently stepped over to the window, which Loki had covered with a curtain. He pushed it back and looked out across the night. A slight breeze pulled his red hair in front of his face. A sigh escaped him, and he looked towards the west. He had always wanted to visit the sea, and he had during his travels as a guardian for the eggs, but going on his own at his leisure would be so much more relaxed. His eyes drifted to the sky. Deep down, he had wished that he could have been a Rider, but it was too much for him to handle. Loki was much more suited to the task. But now, his closest friend was leaving him to go study under the guidance of Eragon, The Legendary Rider. And he was going with a were-human. A girl who Shea had fallen in love with in a matter of seconds for no apparent reason. And he worried that Loki might also have fallen. However, it was no use worrying over. He took a deep breath, crawled back into his bed, and dreamt of the sea.

A cat sat on the ledge of a window, purring, whilst a figure in a decent sized room hummed while she worked on a counter. She paused, her brunette curls bouncing. "What if…" She gave little laugh, and picked up a faint purple mushroom. "This should do it!" She squeaked. She ran over to the window, and the were-cat jumped out of the way. "My apologies, but I need to borrow the moonlight for one moment." The cat arched its back, but retreated to a chair that the woman had pulled out of her bag earlier. He curled up and purred himself off to sleep almost instantly. The woman held the mushroom up to the moonlight, and it began to glow a vibrant green. "Perfecto!" Before the glow died out, she tossed the mushroom into a small cauldron filled with an assortment of other things, and quickly threw a lid on top. After a moment of silence, the woman smirked in triumph. A small paper boat flew past the window, and landed on the ledge where Angela had just been. "Well, well, well. Could this be what I think it is?" She quickly unfolded the letter to find some quickly scrawled words in coded message. She mentally translated it and it read:

A-

Of course I will. You'll have to arrange it with E, however, since he probably won't take too kindly to me teaching one of his would-be students. You need not fear for her protection, for it shall not be safer with anyone else. However, we are unaware of the whereabouts of the location you seek. Perhaps you should attend to it whilst we teach her. Also, you say that her gedwëy ignasia is black on the edges? I have never heard of such a thing in all my years. That will be only a minor inconvenience if anything. And one more thing, she will probably need some assistance in traveling up here by herself, since unfortunately, we will be occupied. I recommend sending one of the Gs with her, so she will have company and an ally. I shall alert you and her of our location when we arrive, and then there are a few people whom I must speak with, E included. If you are unable to arrange for it, I have no doubt that we will be able to persuade him. If all goes correctly, and she follows the correct path, the two of us shall arrive back home shortly in order to arrange for a few things to be set up.

We shall be arriving shortly, probably some time tomorrow

-M

The woman with the brunette curls smiled. "Everything is going quite smoothly, wouldn't you agree?" She turned to the were-cat, who was fast asleep. "Yes, for once, I hope that nothing extraordinary and unplanned for occurs. I doubt anyone has ever heard me say that before, and I doubt I'll ever say it again." And she laughed.


End file.
